NIR-Responsive Methotrexate-Modified Iron Selenide Nanorods for Synergistic Magnetic Hyperthermic, Photothermal, and Chemodynamic Therapy

Senthilkumar Thirumurugan; Kayalvizhi Samuvel Muthiah; Yu-Chien Lin; Udesh Dhawan; Wai-Ching Liu; An-Ni Wang; Xinke Liu; Michael Hsiao; Ching-Li Tseng; Ren-Jei Chung

doi:10.1021/acsami.3c18450

NIR-Responsive Methotrexate-Modified Iron Selenide Nanorods for Synergistic Magnetic Hyperthermic, Photothermal, and Chemodynamic Therapy

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2024 May 22;16(20):25622-25636. doi: 10.1021/acsami.3c18450. Epub 2024 May 13.

Authors

Senthilkumar Thirumurugan¹, Kayalvizhi Samuvel Muthiah¹, Yu-Chien Lin¹, Udesh Dhawan², Wai-Ching Liu³, An-Ni Wang⁴, Xinke Liu^{5

6}, Michael Hsiao^{7

8}, Ching-Li Tseng^{9

10

11

12}, Ren-Jei Chung^{1

13}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, National Taipei University of Technology (Taipei Tech), No. 1, Section 3, Zhongxiao East Road, Taipei 10608, Taiwan.
² Centre for the Cellular Microenvironment, Division of Biomedical Engineering, James Watt School of Engineering, Mazumdar-Shaw Advanced Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G116EW, U.K.
³ Faculty of Science and Technology, Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong 999077, China.
⁴ Scrona AG, Grubenstrasse 9, 8045 Zürich, Switzerland.
⁵ College of Materials Science and Engineering, Chinese Engineering and Research Institute of Microelectronics, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China.
⁶ Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117583, Singapore.
⁷ Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan.
⁸ Department and Graduate Institute of Veterinary Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan.
⁹ Graduate Institute of Biomedical Materials and Tissue Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan.
¹⁰ International Ph.D. Program in Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan.
¹¹ Research Center of Biomedical Device, College of Biomedical Engineering, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan.
¹² International Ph.D. Program in Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan.
¹³ High-Value Biomaterials Research and Commercialization Center, National Taipei University of Technology (Taipei Tech), Taipei 10608, Taiwan.

Abstract

Breast cancer is a malignant tumor with a high mortality rate among women. Therefore, it is necessary to develop novel therapies to effectively treat this disease. In this study, iron selenide nanorods (FeSe₂ NRs) were designed for use in magnetic hyperthermic, photothermal, and chemodynamic therapy (MHT/PTT/CDT) for breast cancer. To illustrate their efficacy, FeSe₂ NRs were modified with the chemotherapeutic agent methotrexate (MTX). MTX-modified FeSe₂ (FeSe₂-MTX) exhibited excellent controlled drug release properties. Fe²⁺ released from FeSe₂ NRs induced the release of ^•OH from H₂O₂ via a Fenton/Fenton-like reaction, enhancing the efficacy of CDT. Under alternating magnetic field (AMF) stimulation and 808 nm laser irradiation, FeSe₂-MTX exerted potent hyperthermic and photothermal effects by suppressing tumor growth in a breast cancer nude mouse model. In addition, FeSe₂ NRs can be used for magnetic resonance imaging in vivo by incorporating their superparamagnetic characteristics into a single nanomaterial. Overall, we presented a novel technique for the precise delivery of functional nanosystems to tumors that can enhance the efficacy of breast cancer treatment.

Keywords: alternating magnetic field (AMF); chemodynamic therapy (CDT); magnetic hyperthermia therapy (MHT); methotrexate (MTX); photothermal therapy (PTT).

MeSH terms

Animals
Breast Neoplasms* / drug therapy
Breast Neoplasms* / pathology
Breast Neoplasms* / therapy
Cell Line, Tumor
Female
Humans
Hyperthermia, Induced*
Infrared Rays
Iron / chemistry
Methotrexate* / chemistry
Methotrexate* / pharmacology
Mice
Mice, Inbred BALB C
Mice, Nude*
Nanotubes* / chemistry
Photothermal Therapy
Selenium Compounds / chemistry
Selenium Compounds / pharmacology
Selenium Compounds / radiation effects

Substances

Methotrexate
Iron
Selenium Compounds